It’s Claudia!

Claudia Winkleman is to become a permanent host on the BBC One show Strictly Come Dancing, replacing Bruce Forsyth. Claudia will team up with the show’s other regular presenter, Tess Daly.

Since Bruce Forsyth announced that he was stepping down from Strictlylast month, there has been widespread speculation about his replacement. Claudia Winkleman has stepped in for him on several occasions, and already co-hosts the programme’s Sunday night results show.

Tess will take Bruce’s former role, introducing the acts and taking the judges’ votes, while Claudia will chat to the celebrities and dancers after their performances.

Claudia said: “I have loved Strictly since the second it appeared on our screens and I am honoured and thrilled now to be part of the Saturday night team. Working alongside Tess is always fantastic and I can’t wait to spend the weekends with her, our amazing dancers and the greatest judging panel on the planet. Sir Bruce is a living legend and we’ll all miss him very much.”

The pair have already proved popular with audiences – and with Dance Today readers, many of whom nominated Claudia as Bruce’s replacement! – but it’s still unusual for two women to front a major primetime show: they will be the first all-female presenting team on Saturday night television. “The new Strictly line-up is a clear demonstration of the BBC’s determination to feature more women, particularly in its primetime output,” said Lizo Mzimba, the BBC’s entertainment correspondent.

Tess said: “I’m so pleased that I’ll be working with Claudia – she’s long been part of the Strictly family and I’ve loved doing the Sunday show with her. It’s really exciting having two women host the show, and we are great mates so there’ll be lots of fun to be had on and off the dancefloor.”

Look out for Marianka Swain’s forthcoming article on the new presenting team!

Zoë was born in Edinburgh, and saw her first dance performances at the Festival there. She is the dance critic of The Independent, and has also written for The Independent on Sunday, The Scotsman and Dancing Times. In 2002, she received her doctorate from the University of York for a thesis on “Nationhood and epic romance: Ariosto, Sidney, Spenser”. She is the author of The Royal Ballet: 75 Years and The Ballet Lover’s Companion.